Rotary engine.



' G. W. RICHARDSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1911.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

sHEzTs-SHEET 1.

G. W. RICHARDSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION HLBD AUG. s1, 1911.

Patented Apr. 23,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 2.

- TTED STATES PATEN T OFT GEORGE W. RICHARDSON, OF BELLINGI-IAM, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PHINEAS C. WILLIAMS, 0F BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. R1cHARD- soN, citizen of the United States, residing at Bellingham, in the county of Whatcom and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rotary engines, and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having a rotary hollow shaft carrying a piston or head provided with steam passages and a stationary casing or shell and with means for transmitting power from the revolving shaft.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described and then specically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-f3 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrow.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved device includes in its construction a supporting base or platform 10 having 'a standard 11 at one end and with a recess 12 near the other end. Rising from the base 10 at one endof the'recess is a vertical bearing rib 13. Bearing Within the recess 12 and against the rib 13, is the shell or casing of the engine and including a rear wall 14 and'annular rim 15, the rear wall and the rim being preferably integral as shown. Bearing upon the open face of the annular rim 15 1s a cover 16 detachably se- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led August 31, 1911.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912. seriai No. 647,099.

cured to the rim by clamp bolts 17 or other suitable fastening devices. The rear wall 14 of the shell is provided with a relatively long hub 18 while a similar hub 19 extends from the cover member 16. lNIounted for rotation through the shell and the bearing hubs 18-19 is a shaft 20 having a longitudinal bore 2l extending therein at one end. The hubs 18-19 are preferably lined with suitable bushings represented at 22-23, the bushings being of non-conductive material such as brass, bronze or the like to prevent the heating of the shaft when in use.

The shell, as before stated, bears within the recess 12 and against the rib 13 and is secured in position by clamp bolts or other suitable fastening devices 2425, as shown. By this means the shell is rigidly coupled to the base.

Extending through the standard 11 is asleeve 26 and adjustably and rigidly supported in the standard by a relatively heavy clamp screw 27. The end of the shaft 2O next to the sleeve 26 is counter-boredas shown at 28, while the adjacent end of the sleeve 26 is reduced as shown at 29 to enter the counter-bore 28, and thus provide a steam tight coupling between the sleeve and the shaft. The engaging surfaces of the counter-bore of the shaft and the reduced portion of the sleeve are preferably inclined or conical as shown to increase the bearing surface and likewise to insure a steam tight joint between the parts.

Connected to the shaft 20 within the shell 14 15-16 is a piston member including oppositely extending lateral portions 30-*31, the piston member being rigidly connected to the shaft and rotative therewith. The inner face of the annular rim15 is formed into alternating recesses 32 and lands 33 and the outer ends of the piston members are concentric to the shaft and bear against the inner faces of the lands as the shaft and piston are revolved as shown in Fig. 3. The piston member 30 is provided with a steam passage 34 communicating at one end with the bore 21 of the shaft, while the piston member 31 is provided with a similar passage 35 likewise communicating at its inner end with the bore of the shaft. Attheir outer ends the passages 34-35 are directed in opposite directions and open through the piston membersA and against the inner face of the annular portion 15 of the shell. The piston member 30 is cut away adjacent to the out-let end of the passage 34 as shown at 36 while the piston member 31 is similarly cut away at the outlet end of the passage 35 as shown at 37, the cutaway portions providing for the free discharge of the steanf from the passages and against the inner face of the shell.

Formed in the face of the piston member 30 next to the cover 16'is av transverse recess 38, while a similar' transverse recess 39 is formed in the face of the piston member 31. Formed through the cover 16 are a plurality of concentrically arranged exhaust ports 40, the exhaust ports being so arranged that the recesses 38-39 pass over the exhaust ports and are in constant communication therewith, the obj ect to be hereafter explained.

Suitable packing rings 41-42 are arranged between the shell and the piston members as shown. Formed upon the cover 16 externally of the exhaust ports 40 is an annular rib 43, and supported upon this rib is a chamber 44 having an opening 45 in one side and surrounding the sleeve 19. By this means the chamber 44 receives the exhaust steam from the engine and discharges it through the opening 45. 1f required a conductor pipe indicated at 46 may be connected to the chamber 44 and inclosing the opening 45 for conducting this exhaust steam to any required point.

A combined balance and power wheel 48 is connected to the shaft 2O as shown. The

steam supply pipe is coupled to the sleeveV 26 as indicated at 49.

With the device thus constructed the operation is as follows: The steam enters at 49 and is conducted from the sleeve through the bore 21 into the passages 34 and 35 and is directed at an angle against the lands 33 and into the pockets 32 and expands consecutively in the pockets and imparts rapid rotary motion to the piston members and the shaft, and exhausts through the recesses 38-39 and ports 40 into the chamber 4 4 and thence through the opening 45 and conductor 46. The expansive and reactive force of the steam is thus utilized to rapidly ro-v tate the piston and the shaft and produces a very rapid motion with a relatively small amount of friction.

The improved engine is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured and is constructed without valves or other parts which are liable to become disarranged when in use.

The engine may be constructed of any required size or capacity and may be utilized wherever a rapidly operating engine is required.

Having thus describedv the invention, what is claimed as new is:

V1. A rotary engine comprising a shaft having a longitudinal bore, a piston including oppositely directed portions and rotative with said shaft, saidv piston having steam passages communicating with the bore of t-he shaft and external recesses concentric to the shaft, a stationary shell surrounding the shaft and its piston and provided with concentrically arranged exhaust ports over "which the piston recesses operate.

2. A rotary engine comprising a shaft having a longitudinal bore, a piston including oppositely directed portions and rotative with said shaft, said piston having steam passages communicating with the bore of the shaft and external recesses concentric to the shaft, a stationary shell surrounding the shaft and its piston and providedwith concentrically arranged exhaust ports over which the piston recesses operate, and a chamber having an opening and inclo-sing .the exhaust ports ofthe shell.

3. A rotary engine comprising a shaft having a longitudinal bore and counter bored at one end, a piston including oppositely directed portions and rotative with `said shaft, said piston having steam passages communicating with the bore of the lvshaft and external recesses concentric to the gshaft, a base having a standard, a stationary shell surrounding the shaft and its piston and provided with concentrically arranged exhaust ports over which the piston recesses operate and connected to said base, a sleeve carried by said standard and reduced at one end for engaging in the counter-bore of the shaft, and means for supplying steam to said sleeve.

4. A rotary engine comprising a shaft having a longitudinal bore, a piston including oppositely directed portions and rotative with said shaft, said piston having steam passages communicating with the bore of the shaft andl external recesses concentric to the shaft, a base having a standard, a

stationary shell surrounding the shaft andl of the shaft and external recesses concentric means extending through said base and to the shaft, a base having a recess and a bearing rib and into said shell. 10 Vertical bearing rib, a stationary shell sur- In testimony whereof, I afix my signarounclng the shaft and its piston and proture in presence of two Witnesses.

vided With concentrically arranged exhaust GEORGE W. RICHARDSON. [L. s.] ports over which the piston recesses operate, Vitnesses:

said shell bearing in said base recess and PHINEAS C. l/VILLIAMS,

against said bearing rib, and fastening W. H. WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

